


Alaskan Holiday

by Camaendir



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-02-17 23:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13087254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camaendir/pseuds/Camaendir
Summary: After Chuck's flight gets grounded, Raleigh offers for Chuck to stay with him at his cabin.Prompt: I know we hate each other, but your flight was cancelled, so come stay with me for Christmas





	1. Chapter 1

Chuck was stock still, watching through the glass wall as heavy grey-white clouds rolled through the December sky towards the airport. His chair still creaked under him. The clouds crept slowly, promising to bring with them a snow set for an Alaskan survival film in his opinion. Max sat at his feet, stubby tail wagging wildly as he stared up at the man across from them. Or more appropriately, staring up at the cruller in his hand. Chuck huffed and checked the monitors next to the entry gate, pissed to find his flight was still delayed and hadn’t been rescheduled yet.

The last thing Chuck wanted was to be stuck in Anchorage for anymore time than necessary.  
Well, maybe not the last thing.

The last thing he wanted was to have to keep listening to Mako and Raleigh comfort each other behind him. Made him sick to his stomach. They’d been wrapped up in each other since early that morning while waiting for her own flight to London, never more than arm’s length from each other throughout the day. Chuck was sure that Raleigh would have a breakdown once Mako had to board her arriving plane.

He grinned wickedly at the thought.

The man in front of him looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. Chuck growled back, causing the man to flinch and drop his doughnut. Max dove for it.

At least he attempted to, barely able to move five inches forward before Chuck hauled him up into his lap. The bulldog whined and squirmed as the other traveler removed himself from Chuck’s presence, tossing the cruller into the trash on his way.

“I could watch Max if you want to go grab him something to snack on,” Raleigh offered from behind Chuck.

Chuck narrowed his eyes. He slowly turned in his hard plastic seat to look at the older ex-pilot. Raleigh still had his arms wrapped around Mako, her forehead touching his temple as his blue eyes were trained on Chuck. The blond smiled down at Max, who was happy for new attention on him.

“Why would I trust Max to you? A kaiju could tear through here and you two wouldn’t notice.” Mako finally turned from Raleigh and offered Chuck one of her calming smiles. 

“I apologize, Chuck. It’s just…” she trailed off and ran her hands down Raleigh’s arms, forcing him to unwrap her. 

Chuck understood. He really did. Even after the Breach closed and there was no more drifting, the co-pilots grew closer as the months went on. Raleigh would be right behind her whenever she would visit Chuck while he was still laid up in the infirmary. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Chuck muttered, “three weeks is a long time for you two not to be glued together. But seriously, it’s not like you’re not gonna be calling and videoing each other every day, right?” He smirked at the blush crawling across Raleigh’s face at the statement. He lived for these moments of knowing how the other pilot thinks. 

Mako stepped toward Chuck and bent down, running her long fingers between Max’s ears. “We will, but it’s different than actually being near the people we care about. Shall we bring up what happened when the doctors wouldn’t let Max into the infirmary?” She looked at Chuck knowingly.

The ginger man felt his own face grow red as he recalled the reaming his father gave him after the incident. Apparently even after saving the world, he wasn’t above getting in trouble for smashing a portable x-ray machine. He blamed the morphine.

Mako looked up at her gate and her smile was immediately tinged with sorrow. “Time to trade this snow for rain,” she said to herself as Raleigh appeared next to her with her bag in his arms. “Don’t give Raleigh too much trouble,” she whispered into Chuck’s hair, kissing his crown before a scarred hand could rub at the spot.

“No promises.” 

She pressed her head against Raleigh’s as he handed her the bag and ticket. She said something in Japanese that Chuck couldn’t understand and the blond pilot replied in kind. They eventually let go and Raleigh looked like a kicked puppy as Mako disappeared from view through the gate.

The Alaskan sighed as he sat down next to Chuck, his hands twisting over each other. Chuck rolled his eyes and set Max back onto the floor, the bulldog too heavy for his bad leg. Max just waddled between the two pilots and laid down to watch with them as the plane inched down the runway.

They were silent as the plane left the tarmac, seeming to run from the oncoming clouds. Raleigh let out a long breath once the airplane was completely out of sight, and he leaned back against the cheap plastic chair. People milled around them as two more flights came and went, the sky growing darker and greyer. 

Chuck shifted in his seat. “You can head back to your little cabin, Ray. I don’t need you holding my hand like you did Mako’s.”

Raleigh looked concerned as he turned toward Chuck, their knees tapping against each other in the small chairs. “And what are you going to do then? Sit here with Max and hope a plane miraculously comes through?”

Chuck shrugged and shifted Max to sit on his good leg. “Wait a bit longer, then check back into the hotel and get a new flight.”

The Alaskan nodded and looked down at his boots, eyebrows drawn together tight.

“Chuck…” The Australian’s jaw tightened at the tone in Raleigh’s voice. “That’s not gonna happen.”

Chuck sucked in a harsh breath.

“A storm like this is gonna sit over the city for a couple days, maybe even a week.”

His stomach got tight. He couldn’t sit in Anchorage for a week. He’d go crazy. 

“That’s why,” Raleigh spoke up with colour in his cheeks, “I’d like you to come home with me.”

Chuck stared. Just stared and stared at the older man who was growing redder by the minute. Max picked his head up and looked between the two. He huffed, flopping onto his side. 

“Look, I know you don’t like me-“ Raleigh started without looking in Chuck’s direction.

“I don’t-“

“But you’d hate it more if you were stuck in a hotel room for a week. I have more room at the cabin for Max to run around.” Max woofed at that, making both the men smirk lightly. “Plus, I have way more liquor than the hotel does.”

Raleigh’s grin grew wide as Chuck and Max looked at each other. Chuck sighed and grabbed his thick coat from the chair on his other side.

“It’ll be better than finishing off that minibar, I guess,” he said as he stood up. Raleigh followed swiftly, a bounce in his step as he walked alongside Chuck and Max. “And you better have a shit ton of liquor, Ray.”

“Don’t worry. There are only three ways to wait out a storm like this, and drinking is the biggest of them.”

Chuck hummed in acknowledgement and began mentally figuring out how much liquor he’d need to spend a week trapped with Raleigh Beckett.

Enough to fill a Jaeger Bay should do.


	2. Chapter 2

Max panted heavily next to Chuck’s face as he sat staring out the windshield at the small grocery store that Raleigh had run into. The snow was falling faster and heavier, visibly piling up around the jeep. Chuck wrapped his coat tighter around himself, hating how the cold seemed to bite him down to his bones.

Raleigh was taking too damn long.

If the blond had told Chuck he’d have to make two stops before making their way to the cabin, Chuck would’ve punched him right in the airport. But the man had offered him a free place to possibly spend the next week trapped at, so Chuck couldn’t really blame him for needing more supplies.

The blond rushed himself from the store to the jeep, arms overladen with big plastic bags. Cold air smacked Chuck in the face as the door behind him was ripped open to shove the bags next to the others in the vehicle. 

“Sorry about that,” Raleigh apologized between chattering teeth as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “The clerk kept trying to get me to buy some discounted space heaters.” He smiled as he backed the jeep out of the lot, all three of them bouncing as the tires ran over fresh piles of snow.

Max stayed on the rest between Chuck and Raleigh during the long drive through whipping flurries and a rapidly darkening sky. His head kept slapping into Chuck’s with every bump they hit, leaving the left side of his face covered in drool.

The trip so far sucked, in his opinion.  
An hour or so of piling snow banks and trees threatening to snap under the new weight, Chuck saw the cabin in a large clearing. It was bigger than he thought it would be, considering Raleigh lived there alone. The older man pulled as close to the front steps as possible before jumping out and running onto the porch to unlock the solid wood door. 

Chuck followed with Max in his arms, struggling a little on the icy steps. Raleigh held a hand out for him, but Chuck refused with a huff and a brush past him. He set the bulldog down on the dry rug and took in his surroundings as Raleigh unpacked the jeep.

It was… cozy. Lots of warm colours in the furniture, with ample rugs strewn about the light wood floor. A large fireplace was nestled in the center of the left wall, a miniscule fire dying in the glowing embers.

Raleigh must have expected to have come back sooner.

That twinged in Chuck’s gut. 

He jumped at the door slamming behind him, and spun to a red-faced Raleigh, threatening to topple over from all the bags he carried. Chuck reached out and pulled his own bags and three of the outer ones from Raleigh’s arms.

The blond smiled and nodded towards the door across from the fireplace. They entered the small kitchen and set the plastic bags on the stone island. Max’s claws clicked against the wood as he followed.

“You didn’t have to do all that yourself. I could’ve helped,” Chuck explained as he started pulling food from the wet bags he had.

“You slipped climbing the steps. I didn’t want you hurting yourself your first five minutes here.” Raleigh smiled and pulled two of the smaller bags under the island, shooing away Max. “I imagine it might be hurting,” he added quietly, not looking at Chuck.

Chuck grit his teeth. “It wasn’t that. It was Max. All that squirming is what made me nearly fall on my ass, not my prosthetic.” He grabbed his own bags and went back into the living room, flopping down on the dark green couch.

Shuffling filled the empty air as Raleigh continued to put away all the new items he purchased, with clicking at his heels as Max followed him around. Chuck swallowed around his suddenly tight throat and squeezed the carbon fiber joint where his right knee used to be.

He hadn’t been awake for that. Just slowly came out of the haze several days later with pain covering his body. Everywhere but his right leg. He did count himself lucky, though. No metal rods had to hold his bones together, no eyepatch or steel plates in his skull. Just some new scars and learning how to walk again over the next few months. Long months with lots of cursing, a broken nose for one of his physical therapists, and one night rubbing his tear stained face into Max’s fur.

Crackling from the fireplace pulled him from his memories. He looked up to see Raleigh standing over the fire, throwing small logs atop the embers. Raleigh turned to face Chuck, shoving his hands into his jeans.

“I’m sorry for what I said in the kitchen.” He met Chuck’s eyes, the deep blue of them boring into his guest. “After Knifehead, my joints hurt so badly that first winter. I thought you might be going through the same.” 

Chuck looked down to the middle of Raleigh’s thick sweater, where it almost seemed to mold to his chest. He’d seen the scars in the kwoon, where his drivesuits had burned their way across his arms and torso. “You were concerned, I know,” he sighed, feeling his stomach tighten again. Just looking at Raleigh, it was hard for him to remember how similar they actually were.

It was amazing how battle brought some people together.

“I’m so-“

“How about instead of us talking about what’s hurting us,” Raleigh shot out, stepping closer to Chuck with a sad smile, “we do something a little more mind numbing? Liquor or food?”

Chuck smirked up at the Alaskan. “Liquor.” 

His smirk swiftly disappeared as his stomach growled with an off-putting loudness.   
Raleigh sucked his lips into his mouth trying his damnedest to not burst with laughter.

“”Food?” He asked with an intake of air, his lips threatening to split his face in a grin.

“Food,” Chuck responded with a blush creeping from his nose down to the nape of his neck.


	3. Chapter 3

CRACK!

The sound startled Chuck awake, who tried to, in vain, to wrestle himself out of the mass of comforters and quilts he had rolled himself up in. The thick blankets had him in a bear hug, and it took the Australian several minutes to untangle himself.

CRACK!

The sound was coming from the side of the house. Chuck turned in the bed and sat up, looking out the window above his headboard. There he was greeted with a very unfamiliar sight. 

Raleigh Beckett. In the snow. Chopping wood. In a tank top. 

Chuck shifted onto his left leg to watch as Raleigh’s thick arms pulled the axe over his head and brought it down hard, splitting a log in half. He did it again, throwing the four pieces to a pile against the cabin. Chuck watched, transfixed at the repetitive actions of the older man. He couldn’t tell how long he stared, the pile of wood doubling in size before Raleigh grabbed an armful and began walking through the deep snow to the front of the cabin.

The ginger turned in the bed and scooted to the edge, pulling on his prosthetic leg before slipping on some thicker pajama bottoms and a sweater Raleigh had given him before bed last night. 

Max’s snout was sticking out from the mound of quilts at the foot of the bed. All the jostling around by Chuck hadn’t done anything to stop the loud snoring of the bulldog.

Chuck knew what would wake him up.

He made his way to the kitchen, listening as Raleigh kicked snow off his boots at the door. Coffee grounds were being set into the maker as the blond waltz into the kitchen, snow in his hair and a sheen layer of sweat over his arms and shoulders. He sidestepped Chuck’s digging through his refrigerator and filled a glass with water at the sink.

“You could’ve slept in,” he commented after a long gulp of water.

“And let you start the day without me? Not a chance, Beckett.” Chuck grinned as he cracked two eggs into a bowl, tossing the shells into the sink and whisking in some flour. “I’m not the kinda guy who can just sleep all day and lounge around doing nothing.”

Raleigh muttered something into his glass that Chuck couldn’t quite make out. He didn’t press it, instead pouring healthy sized portions of batter onto the skillet. He moved on to laying out strips of bacon onto another skillet, and smiling when Max’s heavy body hit the floor with the smell of breakfast wafting through the cabin.

The blond hummed in appreciation as Chuck served him a plate overflowing with bacon and pancakes. He poured them each a cup of coffee and set them on the island. A loud bark announced Max’s arrival, followed swiftly by him skidding across the floor into Chuck’s leg. His tongue lolled out on side as he eyed the plate Chuck had.

Chuck just smiled and set down a small plate with eggs on it, which Max attacked with extreme gusto.

He looked up to find Raleigh watching him, a small smile playing on his lips. Chuck squinted back.

“What are you smiling at, huh?”

Raleigh’s smile grew and he tried to hide it behind his coffee mug. “Nothing,” he responded in an amused tone. 

“Tell me, or I’m taking the bacon back.”

“Fine. Just don’t threaten me with something so heinous.” He emphasized his point by shoving two strips into his mouth.

“Pig,” Chuck said with a grin. “Now out with it, mate.”

“It’s just I’ve never seen you so… domestic.”

“Domestic?”

“Yeah. I mean, cooking breakfast? Making coffee? And in pajamas? It’s just a side of you I didn’t know existed.”

Chuck huffed out a laugh and turned to put more eggs on his own plate. “First, these are your pajamas. Don’t be mad that I look better in them than you do. And second, if you came to Sydney at least once, you’d see that I can lead a somewhat normal life. But don’t get used to this, I’m not gonna be your little housewife the whole time while I’m here.” 

He turned with his refilled plate and was a little confused. Raleigh had his head down, staring into his coffee cup. His plate, still with a heavy pile of food on it, sat pushed away from him. Pink tinted the tips of his ears and across his nose.

“I didn’t mean it like… I just,” he babbled softly, not looking up at Chuck. He pushed away from the island and made his way from the kitchen. “I need to shower before the cold sets in.”

Chuck stood there, plate still in hand, in the empty kitchen. Not even Max made a sound. 

What the hell just happened?

He heard a door close and moments later, the muffled sounds of a shower running. Chuck slowly ate his breakfast, staring at the empty doorway. Max watched him as he washed his plate in the sink, and followed him into the main room.

The bulldog tried in vain to join Chuck on the couch. His stubby legs just couldn’t carry him up onto the plush cushions. He whined until Chuck conceded. The pilot grunted as he picked the heavy dog up and set him next to the arm. 

Max barked happily and flopped himself down with a huff.

Chuck absently ran his fingers between Max’s ears as he stared at the decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Soft lights hung from it in a multitude of colors. Ornaments sat perched on strong branches. Perfectly wrapped gifts sat underneath, the light from the fire shimmering on the reflective wrappings.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, petting Max and the sound of crackling logs in his ears before a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up past a thick lavender sweater to see Raleigh, smiling down at him.

“You okay, mate?” He asked, keeping an eye on Raleigh as he circled the couch and sat next to Chuck.

Raleigh nodded, the smile still in place. He looked at the tree with half-lidded eyes. Chuck could see the crinkling at the edges of the sharp blue that once stared down monsters from the deep. A light scruff traveled his jawline, turning deep gold when the fire popped and the flames licked higher. Chuck brought a hand to his own jaw and fingered the prickly red hairs there.

“I like it.” 

Chuck turned to fully face Raleigh. “What?”

“The scruff. I like it,” he explained, smile turning into a smirk as Chuck’s face heated up. “It makes you look your age.”

Chuck turned toward the fireplace, the heat barely matching the fire crawling up the back of his neck.

“You calling me old, Becket?” He managed out, his hand stilling on a sleeping Max’s head.

Raleigh chuckled. “Not at all, Chuck. Just saying you don’t look like a bratty kid anymore.”

Chuck barked out a laugh. “Just a bratty adult?”

The Alaskan laughed back. “Exactly.”

The two laughed until Max sat up with an irritated huff, turned, and shoved his face into the crook of the couch’s arm. His snoring resumed immediately.

Raleigh looked over Chuck to Max and smiled softly. He stood up and took Chuck’s wrist between his fingers.

“Come on. Let’s let him sleep.”

Chuck followed him speechlessly to the kitchen. He could feel the rough pads of Raleigh’s fingers around his wrist. His breath caught in his throat.

Since when had a simple touch been able to shut him up?

Raleigh let him go once inside the kitchen, and he turned the stove on. He pulled a large pot from beneath the island, then a large glass jar from the cabinets. The aroma of apples and cloves filled the kitchen as the drink warmed in the pot.

Cider. Hot apple cider.

The two mugs from the morning were pulled from the drying rack and set on the island. Raleigh picked a cinnamon stick from the spice rack and split it in two, placing one half in each mug. Chuck was really looking forward to this drink.

Ladling the steaming drink into the mugs, Raleigh handed one to Chuck. He then nodded his head to the back of the cabin, and Chuck followed him through the hallway to the main bedroom. Chuck tried not to look around as they walked through Raleigh’s bedroom, though he did notice the large bed pushed against the wall and a smaller fireplace with a thick rug laid out before it.

Raleigh stood before the door at the opposite wall, and opened it slowly. Chuck felt the cold wind hit him before he could make out all the white. There was a small porch with a low bannister overlooking a white field between snow drenched hills. As Chuck made his way onto the porch, he was thankful for the thick pajamas Raleigh had given him.

The sky was still muted, snow falling steadily over the trees and hills. 

“Fuck,” Chuck breathed out, vapor coiling thickly from his lips, “it looks like it hasn’t moved an inch.”

“You’re pretty close.” Raleigh sipped from this mug, letting out a content sigh. “The clouds sit so low that the mountains put them at a near standstill. They tend to sit here until the snow stops.”  
Chuck nodded, sipping his own cider. “Holy fuck,” he muttered, looking into his drink. “That’s amazing.”

“Thanks.” Raleigh smiled and sat on a wooden swing on one side of the porch. 

Chuck joined him, looking out at the vast white expanse before them. He could barely make out the outline of a frozen lake in the blending white of the fallen snow. The whole scene was so… peaceful. It was almost as if the kaiju never threatened to tear through here. As if this little stretch of land was untouched by the tragedy of it all. 

His hands tightened around the mug, letting the heat from it soak through his palms. 

“Thank you.”

Chuck turned his head to look at Raleigh. He was staring right back at Chuck.

“For, for what?” He could feel his throat tightening. And not from the frigid air.

“For coming home with me.” Too many times today, Chuck’s face was overcome with a blush. “I know how it sounds, but…”

Chuck could see Raleigh swallow hard.

“It’s hard spending Christmas alone. There are probably a hundred places and a thousand people you’d rather spend the holiday with than me, but it still means a lot that you were willing to come here. So thank you, Chuck.”

Chuck had to look a way from the raw emotion he could feel being poured out of Raleigh. Keeping his gaze planted between his feet, he shifted over until their shoulders were touching.

“You’re getting sappy, you washout,” he said softly, a smile edging it’s way across his lips.

Raleigh smiled back, lifting his drink to his lips. “Maybe. But isn’t it the time of year for sappy?”

Chuck glanced at him briefly. The older pilot’s eyes were focused out on the lake. He moved his leg so his knee was resting against Raleigh’s.

“And you’re right.” Raleigh returned his attention to Chuck. And he felt that blush creeping across his features again. “I’d rather be in Sydney with Herc, celebrating the holidays in shorts.” He could see Raleigh’s smile falter from the edge of his vision. “But there are worse places to be at than in a quiet cabin with a fellow pilot-” 

He sucked in a breath and nudged Raleigh’s knee.

“-and a friend.”

Raleigh’s smile threatened to split his face in two. He nudged Chuck’s knee back and the Australian felt a grin threaten to split his face as well.

So they sat there, drinking hot cider. Touching from shoulder to hip. And thigh to knee. And for the life of Chuck, it felt so… comfortable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long time between chapters. Life has been busy lately. I'm hoping to get the rest of this out within a week or so. Thanks for everyone's patience.

Thick aromas of baking chicken and sautéing vegetables pulled Chuck’s attention from the book is he engrossed in. It stirred Max from his sleep as well, his jowls flopping as he quickly righted himself and began to search for the heavenly smell. Chuck set the borrowed book down and followed Max, his socked feet making considerably less noise against the hardwood than the bulldog’s claws.

Max stood behind Raleigh in the kitchen, his stubby tail wagging furiously as the man transferred a plump chicken from a shallow pot to a serving tray, pouring the drippings back over top. Onions and peppers and tomatoes were being sautéed in a large skillet, the whole mix popping wildly. 

Chuck watched from the island, leaning over his crossed arms with a smile. 

“If I had known you cooked like this, I would’ve left breakfast to you.”

Raleigh turned to Chuck and smiled. “Maybe tomorrow we switch off, hm?” 

“Sounds good to me,” the Australian replied with a grin, settling himself on a stool.

Max sat obediently beside him as Raleigh ran around the kitchen, putting on the finishing touches to the dinner. He pulled two glasses down and filled them with water. Two small mugs were filled with hot cider and Chuck grabbed for his impatiently.

“Good to know I have a winning recipe here,” Raleigh said as he brought the chicken to the island. “Maybe we won’t have to break into the real liquor while you’re here.”

Chuck narrowed his eyes, pointing the carving knife at Raleigh. “You promised me liquor, Ray. You can’t back out of that now that I can’t leave.”

“I don’t know, Chuck. I seem to have all the cards here. I think I can do,” he emphasized his point by stealing a large chunk of meat Chuck had carved for himself, “whatever I feel like.” He finished with a grin at the ginger. 

“Tell me, Ray. Do you know what happens when a bulldog eats onions and peppers?” He loaded his plate with said vegetables, pointedly not looking at his host. 

Raleigh slowly shook his head. 

Chuck smiled softly. “Well, unless you’d like to find out when I throw Max into your room tonight, I suggest you keep me well supplied this evening.”

“Fair enough,” Raleigh replied with a laugh in his throat.

They made idle chitchat the rest of the meal, Max waddling from one man to the other to snap at scraps of chicken they held out for him. Something was biting Chuck. A warm sensation that bled through him throughout the dinner. A pleasantness and comfortability that he couldn’t explain. It churned in the center of his being even as Raleigh shooed him from the kitchen with a fresh mug of cider as the older man cleared the island.

Max fell to his side before the fire with a deeply sated huff. Chuck had seen Herc do something similar after a delicious meal. But that had been a long time ago. Now that the world didn’t need saving, maybe they could have those kinds of dinners again. Dinners like the one he just had. He could picture it. Herc, Raleigh, Mako, and himself at a table with a bounty of home cooked food between them. Laughing. Joking. Enjoying. Not worrying about an alarm going off or sitting with bandages around limbs. 

The cider steamed in his face as he took a slow sip, letting it warm his stomach. He thought about more warm cider and letting Max run around the vast field once the snow had melted. Of coming back and staying with Raleigh for the summer. 

And a heat pooled at the base of his spine, and he fought a smile trying to make its way over his features. A smile that was filled with… excitement over the possibility of that happening. 

He hid it with his mug.

Max was snoring by the time Raleigh had made it into the room, a dish towel over his shoulder and a glass of wine in his hand. “I bet if you weren’t waiting for a real drink, you’d be cozied up with him,” he said as he motioned towards Max with his glass.

“No promises of toasty fires,” Chuck replied, setting down his mug on the side table, “or fantastic meals will dissuade me from emptying your liquor cabinet. It’s been two days, and I want my drinks to burn properly.”

Raleigh grinned and set down his glass. He went back into the kitchen and returned with two tumblers and a bottle of whiskey. Chuck finished his cider quickly and grabbed an empty tumbler, watching as Raleigh slowly sipped his wine.

“Go ahead,” Raleigh told him with wave of his hand. “I’ll catch up.”

Chuck narrowed his eyes and poured himself some whiskey, shooting it back and releasing a wild cough.

Raleigh laughed heartily.

“Yeah.” His laugh subsided into chuckles. “Hard liquor burns a little after all that sugary cider, doesn’t it?”

“Fuck you, Becket,” Chuck sputtered out between coughs. He dared a much smaller drink of whiskey and was relieved at the lighter burn in his throat.

“Maybe on Christmas day,” came Raleigh’s reply. 

Chuck nearly choked. Raleigh simply grinned at him and continued sipping his wine, the deep red staining his upper lip. He finally settled to sitting in a plush armchair with seemed to swallow him up.

It looked comfy. He looked comfy. 

Chuck shot that thought back with another swallow of whiskey.

The bottle was close to empty before Raleigh filled his tumbler for the first time. By that point, Chuck was toasty inside and outside, and he could feel a permanent blush on his cheeks. Raleigh just had that small smile of his as he drank, not even grimacing at the hard liquor. Chuck scowled.

“So any Christmas Eve traditions in the Becket household?” Chuck could hear the heaviness of his accent in the question. Fuck.

“Well,” Raleigh swirled his whiskey, “we used to bake gingerbread men and sugar cookies. The kids would decorate them while the parents organized the presents.”

“I think Mako woul’ appreciate ‘em bein’ called gingerbread people,” Chuck said with a raise of his chin and a squinting of his eyes. A bad Pentecost impression at best. 

“Not the way Yancy would decorate them.”

It took Chuck a minute for that to sink in. Then he was on his side, laughing until Max was startled from his sleep. The bulldog stumbled away with a huff as Chuck regained his breath.

“Fuckin’ hell. We are so doin’ that tomorrow.” He reached for a second bottle around giggles. 

Chuck poured a heavy glass as Raleigh held out his own and the ginger refilled it. He was more steady with that glass.

“And what about you, Chuck? Anything special you Aussies would do?” Raleigh grinned around the lip of his tumbler.

Chuck put his glass in both hands, curling over it slightly. “Nothin’ really special for a while now, but when I was a sprout, back when Mum…” He swallowed hard. “Mum would have us three sit and open one present. Dad would open one from Mum, me from him, and her from me.”

Chuck could feel Raleigh sit down next to him and wrap an arm around him. The soft wool of his jumper dragged the back of his neck, and Chuck relaxed into it. His head hit Raleigh’s shoulder and the other man softly took Chuck’s glass from his hands. Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist and rubbed his pulse point, calming the heat in Chuck’s face and the pressure behind his eyes.

“Would you… would you want to do that?”

Chuck nodded into his shoulder. He could feel Raleigh smile into his hair, and the heat in his spine returned. 

“We’ll do that, then.”

Chuck nodded again and shuffled closer to Raleigh, inhaling the jumper around him. Pine and cinnamon and whiskey and something that was just… Raleigh. He looked up at blue eyes when a thought crawled through his head. “But, I didn’t get you anythin’. If I’d known I’d be stu-“

“How about you decorate some cookies that Yancy would be proud of?” Raleigh cut in with a grin hidden in his blond stubble. 

Chuck giggled. “I’m gonna make so many icin’ penises.” Chuck grinned wildly and closed his eyes to the sound of Raleigh’s laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again everyone. Life's been a bit of a mess lately. But with summer coming up, I'll be having a lot more time for myself, so I'll get all this out within a week or two and start working on some more projects.  
> Hope you guys like this chapter, feedback is always appreciated.

Chuck groaned as he padded into the kitchen. His prosthetic felt heavier in his hungover haze, but it wouldn’t stop him in his mission. Coffee. Blessed coffee. He scratched at his morning scruff as he slapped around for the grinds. Popping the lid open, he leant over it and inhaled.

Again. And again. And again. 

Very few things could wake him up faster than the heavy aroma of coffee beans. He shook them into the filter and set it to brew, the bubbling of the machine barely hiding the sound of someone else making their way to the kitchen. 

“Bacon,” Raleigh yawned out, “and eggs. I need… all the bacon and eggs.”

He patted Chuck’s shoulder as he made his way to the refrigerator. His fingers drug against the thick shirt and sent heat traveling down Chuck’s back. He watched Raleigh as the older man was waist deep in cold air, digging for egg cartons and bacon packages. His ass did look pretty good in those pajama pants…

The thought was snuffed out quickly and Chuck turned his attention back to the brewing coffee. He ignored Raleigh as he set about the kitchen, staring up the stove and letting the bacon sizzle loudly in two pans.

He really was set to eat all the bacon and eggs in the house. Chuck shook his head as he poured the fresh coffee into two mugs, handing one off to Raleigh. The man hummed in appreciation and took a small sip.

Chuck sat at the island and cradled his coffee, watching Raleigh work. He moved effortlessly even with an early morning hangover. The sunny-side up eggs were transferred to plates flawlessly and the bacon was evenly crisp as they were set onto a tray.

All the food was placed on the island when a familiar whine made it’s way from the doorway. Max stood in the doorway, turning his head from Chuck to the front door and back. Chuck huffed and got up, stealing a slice of bacon as he went into the living room and pulled on his boots and coat. 

“Fuckin’ hell,” he nearly yelled as he was pelted with frigid wind and bright morning light. Max ran past him and plummeted into the snow, leaving a caved-In trail as he made to do his business.

Chuck blew into his hands as he squinted up. No snowfall. No clouds. Just blue sky and a sun set above the trees. He pulled his phone from his jacket and saw he had an unopened email from the airline. It stared back at him in silence until the screen blacked out. 

“Flight back on?”

Chuck nearly jumped at the sound and he spun, growling at the smirking man next to him. He held out Chuck’s mug. The ginger took it with a thankful nod, his face flaming up. Raleigh just grinned and pocketed his own hands. “So?”

“So what?” Chuck sipped at the steaming drink.

“Is your flight back on?” He looked out at the vast white field and snow covered trees. 

“No. I- I don’t know. I haven’t checked.” 

“Well you better hurry. I bet those flights are gonna fill up fast.”  
Chuck scowled and turned full bodied to Raleigh. “Trying to get me out of here, Ray?” He could feel a different fire heating up his features now. A much more familiar fire.

“No.” Raleigh finally turned to look at Chuck. His blue eyes were searching the Australian’s face. 

“I’d love for you to stay, but I just thought… I thought you’d rather spend Christmas with Herc.”

Chuck took a step closer to Raleigh until they were nose to nose. The Alaskan’s breath fanned out across his cheeks. “If you want me to stay, you should ask.”

Raleigh’s grin returned and he put his hands on Chuck’s shoulders, slowly pushing them up towards his neck. “Chuck, with your freckles so bright, will you-“

“Oi! Fuck off!” He laughed out, punching Raleigh in the chest with his free hand. Raleigh laughed too and rubbed his chest, looking at Chuck with half-lidded eyes. Chuck’s smile softened. He stepped forward again when a bark rang through the silent morning.

Max was panting at the foot of the porch, looking between them and the closed front door. Chuck rolled his eyes as Raleigh stepped away and opened the heavy wood door. Max barreled past them to flop down in front of the fireplace. 

“We better head in, too,” Raleigh stated, grabbing Chuck by the wrist. “Breakfast’ll get cold if we don’t.”

Chuck could just nod as he was dragged back into the kitchen with a warmth crawling up his arm and into his chest.

At least Raleigh thought ahead and had a stack of toast between all the eggs and bacon. Chuck smothered his in raspberry jam before shoveling as much food into his mouth as quickly as possible. Raleigh ate with a bit more decorum, but still faster than he usually did. To the ginger’s horror, they were able to polish off all the food set before them. Chuck’s hangover did all but disappear with his full belly.

Chuck scrubbed through the grease on the pans leisurely as Raleigh made another pot of coffee. His fingers drew lazy circles with the sponge. His gaze kept shifting over to Raleigh who stood bent over with his head in his hands, watching as the decanter filled.

“So, I was thinking,” Chuck began as he set out two pans to dry, running a dishrag over his hands, “we could start on those naughty gingerbread men after lunch. That way we can decorate ‘em after dinner. How’s that sound?”

Raleigh turned his head to look Chuck up and down, then smiled. “Sounds like you are planning on staying through the night.”

Chuck just rolled his eyes and threw the rag at the blond’s face. Raleigh laughed and picked up the decanter, pouring two more cups and taking them both into the main room. Chuck stopped smiling and followed him.

“I thought one of those was for me…”

Raleigh was on the couch, his feet curled under him with a book in his lap, holding out one of the mugs for Chuck. Chuck just smiled and took the offered drink, sidling in next to him. His thigh was pressed up against the older man’s calf. Max was huffing from his place in front of the fire. The pages of Raleigh’s book crinkled with each turn. The ginger sipped his coffee and smiled, the flight email on his phone completely forgotten.


	6. Chapter 6

Chuck’s phone buzzed in the middle of his attempt to add nipples to his gingerbread man. Needless to say, he failed. He huffed and batted his hands against his jeans before picking up his phone. His father’s face greeted him. Chuck unlocked his cell and the video chat began.

“Happy Christmas, old man,” he cheered, followed swiftly by a “merry Christmas” from Raleigh. 

Herc did not look amused. “Imagine my surprise when I see that all the flights from Alaska are back on, and yet there’s no Chuck Hansen on any of them.”

The holiday cheer in Chuck’s gut dried up and was replaced with a terrible knot. His eyes flashed to Raleigh, who had a concerned look on his features. Chuck backed out of the kitchen without looking at Raleigh and headed to the guest room. 

“What is going on with you?” His father asked as Chuck closed the door. “It’s Christmas Eve, and it doesn’t even look like you’re getting ready to leave.”

The ginger sat on the bed, trying hard to keep his eyes locked with Herc’s. “I just- he’s alone and-“ His eyes cast down. “I didn’t want-“

“Chuck. Look at me.” Chuck sucked in a breath and slowly met his father’s digitized gaze. “Do you remember the last time you couldn’t look me in the eye?”

Chuck’s face grew hot, and he gave a short, slow nod.

“I asked you if you wanted to meet the Beckett brothers, and you hid behind your new puppy Max and just kept stuttering and stuttering,” he chuckled. “I knew you had a crush. I just always thought it was on Yancy.”

“Dad…” Chuck was afraid if anymore blood went to his face, he’d pass out.

“You need to let him know.”

Chuck’s embarrassment swiftly shot into panic as his eyes darted to the closed door and his breath came in quick bursts. “I can’t.”

“You have to, son. You can’t let him think you two are just friends if you’re looking for something more. It’s not fair to him. Or you. All three of us know how quick life can flip on us. If you hadn’t come back from Pitfall-“

“Dad, don’t.” Chuck could feel his throat tighten. He hated thinking about that day.

“-There were so many things I wanted to tell you. And when you stepped into Striker, I thought that I was never going to be able to let you know how much I love you and how proud I am of you.”

Chuck’s free hand rubbed at where his leg met the prosthetic. His fingers curled over the carbon fiber. “And now I can’t get you to shut up about it.” He dared a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“Son, let Raleigh know how you feel. Whatever happens, you’ll be happy you did. Trust me, okay?”

“Yeah…”

“Good. Now go have a good day, and call me tomorrow so we can get you back down here. Mum and Pop won’t stop asking when you’re gonna arrive.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Happy Christmas, son.”

“Happy Christmas, old man.” 

The call ended and Chuck stared at his reflection. He needed to trim his scruff soon. It was getting too long for his comfort. Too much like Herc’s beard. His phone hit the floor as he bent forward, squeezing his thigh. His other hand gripped the hair at the back of his head and matted it against his skull.

Two knocks rung through the room.

“Chuck? Are you okay? Can I come in?”

Chuck sat straight up, patting his hair back into place. “Y-yeah. Of course.”

The door opened tentatively, and Raleigh peeked his head through. He stepped into the room and closed the door with his backside, leaning against it. He put his hands at the small of his back and looked at Chuck with a tilted head. Flour and spices were splashed across his sweater and trousers. It made Chuck flash a small smile.

“Everything alright?” Raleigh asked, not moving from his spot. 

Chuck nodded, one hand still stroking his thigh.

Raleigh stood still for a minute, slowly pushing himself from the door and stalking forward. He bent down on one knee, two steps from the ginger man, and picked up the phone with three fingers. Turning it in his palm, he scooted closer to Chuck and placed the cell on the bed. He looked up into Chuck’s eyes with a searching gaze.

“Herc’s not going to sic some Australian beast on me for keeping you for Christmas, is he?” He asked with a light smile.

Chuck offered a smile in return, taking the phone off the mattress and pressing it between his hands.

“No. Well, not as long as I’m back before New Years.”

Raleigh frowned and rubbed his hands together. “So when are you planning on headed back?”

Chuck shrugged and looked away, squeezing his cell. “Probably the day after tomorrow. The twenty-eighth at the latest.”

The blond nodded and raised one hand, gingerly placing it on Chuck’s prosthetic knee. Chuck looked at the large fingers pressed down on the denim-clad appendage. He swallowed hard.

“You’re always welcome here, Chuck,” Raleigh said softly, staring Chuck down. “I’m happy to have you here with me whenever you want to, if you need to just… get away from it all.”

Chuck couldn’t help but smile down at the man. “Thanks, Ray.” He cleared his throat and shuffled a bit, nudging Raleigh’s hand off his knee. “So I guess that means you wouldn’t…” He blushed. “…want to come with Max and me to Sydney then?”

Raleigh leaned back, a shocked look on his face and a blush crawling across his cheeks as well. 

Then, a smile bloomed across his features. “I’d want that very much, Chuck.”

A laugh threw itself from Chuck’s throat, and the two smiled even wider. Raleigh grunted as he stood, walking backwards to the door. “Now come on, we have gingerbread men to finish.”

Chuck huffed and stood, following Raleigh back into the kitchen, where Max was trying, and failing, to jump up to snatch at a cookie hanging over the island edge. The red-head squatted down and pulled Max to him, rubbing underneath his jowls.

“Those aren’t good for you, and you know it, Max,” Chuck grumbled as Raleigh dug around the fridge for something.

The older man kneeled down next to Chuck, and he set a plate of shredded chicken before Max, who dove into it like a madman. He chuckled and ruffled the ginger’s hair as he stood, moving the finished cookies to a serving tray and setting it next to the fridge.

Chuck got up off the floor and went back to the decorating, abandoning one to work upon a new man with blond piping and black frosting shorts. Raleigh hummed as he took his place across from Chuck, piping tiny red hairs onto the chest of his cookie. The two looked at the others’ incomplete work and tried to hide their sniggers. 

Max looked up from his treat, chicken matted across his snout, and shot a glance between the two men, before huffing and going back to licking his plate clean.


	7. Chapter 7

Dinner was better that night with the promise of demolished gingerbread men for dessert. Chuck tucked himself into a corner of the couch, Raleigh opposite him, and the serving tray of cookies between them. Max sat in his bed, looking at the cookies with a forlorn expression, trying to sneak towards them without Chuck’s notice.

After the third time, and Chuck giving an unflattering noise to Max, the bulldog huffed and laid down, his back turned to the two men. Raleigh smiled at the action and took hold of another treat, taking a bite of the soft leg. Chuck closed the book in his lap and set it on the side table. He licked the taste of cloves and frosting from his lips as he put his fist against his temple and looked at Raleigh.

“So are we just going to wait until midnight and hope Mr. Claus makes his way down the chimney?” Chuck asked, scratching at his freshly trimmed scruff. 

“We can if you want to, if those are your only plans for the night,” he replied off-handedly.

Chuck narrowed his eyes and gave Raleigh a nudge with his foot, careful not to upset the tray. “Do you have other plans tonight, then, Ray?”

The older man looked over at Chuck, giving him a slow once over that made him blush.

“Well, there is something I really like to do on Christmas Eve,” he replied with a slow drawl.

Chuck could feel his stomach tighten and his face heat up further. “W-what?”

Raleigh’s face lit up and he shot up from the couch, diving for the tree. “Opening one gift early!” He exclaimed with his ass in the air and his arms reaching behind the large tree.

Chuck just watched in silent amusement as a savior of the world acted like he was ten again. He smiled as Raleigh sat up with two gifts in his hands and a massive grin on his face. “You said one gift, Ray.”

The blond shuffled to his feet and walked over to Max, placing the larger present in front of him. “They’re not for me, Chuck,” he said softly as he handed a small box to his guest. “Merry Christmas.”

The Australian stared at the dark green box in his hand, his brain unable to form words. Raleigh sat next to Chuck and watched Max sniff and scratch at the gift before him. The older man leaned back against the couch and placed and arm behind Chuck, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

“Go ahead.”

Chuck looked at Raleigh and the way his stubble glimmered gold in the light of the fire. “But I didn’t-“

“I know. And it’s okay. Not having to spend the holidays alone was a better gift than anything you could have put under the tree.” He drummed his fingers against the present. “Open it.”

The ginger slowly pulled the lid from the box, Raleigh’s smile in his peripheral vision. Settled in black tissue paper was a dog tag on a silver chain, the grey-blue tag had his name and birthday on it and the date he woke up after Pitfall. Chuck lifted the tag from the wrapping, watching it swing in the open air. The back was the same blue with a corner in military green. 

Colours so familiar to Chuck. The colours of-

“It was part of Striker,” Raleigh told him as he slipped the chain from Chuck’s fingers. “I was able to get some of the armor from the U.N. a year ago. Gave it to Geiszler and he made the tag. The chain’s an old silver one I had from before the corps.” He unclasped the necklace and motioned for Chuck to turn around. 

Chuck felt the large fingers brush against the back of his neck as Raleigh slid the tag across his throat. He turned back to face the blond man, who had a huge grin across his face. “There. Looks perfect.” He ran a finger over the chain, tracing the edge of the pendant. Chuck’s face grew hot as Raleigh stared at his chest with half-lidded eyes. The ginger’s fists tightened against his jeans and he closed his eyes. 

Slowly, he let one hand unravel and moved it down his leg towards Raleigh. His fingers ghosted over his tough denim, and briefly grasped at empty air. Chuck’s heart skipped a beat as they met the softer fabric over Raleigh’s knee. He opened his eyes, and was greeted with a blush over the blond’s features that matched his own.

Raleigh’s grin tightened into something a lot more personal, and he locked eyes with Chuck. His own fingers rested gently against Chuck’s, and he moved forward until their knees touched. Chuck wasn’t sure who moved forward first, but he did know he gulped so loud that Raleigh had to have heard it. The blond grinned softly, his lips parting gently, and Chuck could feel hot breath ghost over his own lips.

A rip tore through the air.

Raleigh backed off and looked over to Max, his mouth still a small smile. The bulldog had bright paper in his jowls and was trying to bite at the box the Alaskan had handed him.

“Impatient, aren’t we?” He commented as he stood from the couch, kneeling to help Max.

“Yeah, Max. Couldn’t wait two minutes, could ya?” Chuck muttered to himself, hands balled into fists in his lap. 

He glanced to the two in front of the fire. Raleigh was pulling a blanket from the box, decorated with images of winter in the mountains. Max panted and shook his head, letting loose a long strip of wrapping he had bitten off. 

The blond unwrapped the blanket and threw it over Max, smiling wider as the dog barked happily and flopped onto his side. Raleigh looked over his shoulder at Chuck, his eyes settling on the tag around his neck. “I’d say he really likes it.”

“I’d say he does,” Chuck responded, turning so his body faced Raleigh. “I think he’ll sleep with it every night.”

“I hope he does.” That little grin reappeared.

Chuck sucked in a sharp breath and tried to get his heart to stop hammering in his ears. “So what now?”

Raleigh was silent for a bit, his grin fading away. He stared at Chuck, his eyes tracing the ginger’s face. “I guess… bed?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Chuck’s heart dropped from his ears down into his stomach. 

The moment was gone, then.

He stood and grabbed the half-finished plate of cookies. “Good night, then.” He hurried out of the room, depositing the plate in the kitchen before he was behind the closed door of his room.

His stomach was in knots as he slowly undressed, shoving his clothes into the corner of his bag. Throwing back the mass of blankets on the bed, he sat on the stiff mattress, listening to the sink running in the kitchen. He could hear Raleigh shuffling around the cabin, doing his nightly rituals. Then heavy footsteps walking past, pausing at his door for a moment. 

Chuck held his breath as the light from the hallway was blocked for a few seconds.

But they continued on, and the light spilling under the door ended with an audible click.

Chuck just continued sitting on the bed, in naught save his boxer-briefs, staring at the door. He continued to stare as he undid his prosthetic. He didn’t take his eyes off the door, until he laid the leg in the chair next to the bed.

The dog tag tapped against his chest. His fingers went for it, sliding across the raised metal. He smiled as he imagined all the trouble Raleigh must have gone through to get it made. He swallowed and fisted the tag, his heart speeding up again.

He looked at the door and shot up, hobbling forward and balancing himself as he grabbed the doorknob. If he didn’t do this now, he was sure he’d never have the guts to do it again. He made his way down the short hallway to Raleigh’s room, where the door was still open.

He planted his hands on the doorframe, glaring at the man propped up against the headboard, his face lit up by the phone he was furiously typing on. He looked so… rejected. It broke Chuck’s heart. It was look he never wanted to see again.

“Thank you for making me feel like a dumbass, Becket.” 

Raleigh startled and his phone fell to the bed as he stared at Chuck. “What are yo-“

“Are you just going to let the naked amputee freeze in your doorway?” He demanded, hopping forward as Raleigh pulled the covers back, revealing his own state of undress.

Chuck pulled himself into the bed, parallel to the blond, just a few inches keeping them from being pressed up against each other. “I was still mad at Max at interrupting our kiss, so the ‘bed’ thing didn’t click.”

Raleigh visibly relaxed and he smiled wide. “I was scared.” Chuck looked at Raleigh, puzzled. “When you ran off to your room, I was afraid I had gone too far. I thought you didn’t feel the same way and I just caught you in a moment of weakness and-“

“Ray.” Chuck reached out and laid his hand across the Alaskan’s cheek. The man shut up turned into the hand. “If I didn’t like you so much, don’t you think I would’ve hauled ass out of here the first moment I could’ve?”

“So you do like me,” Raleigh stated, lips brushing Chuck’s palm. Chuck shivered and the blond moved closer. “This is a way better present than you staying here with me.”

“If that’s the case, I guess I can go back to my own bed.” Chuck pulled back with a grin.

Raleigh shot forward and wrapped an arm around Chuck, planting a hard kiss against him. He groaned into it and all Chuck could taste was gingerbread and coffee and Raleigh. Perfection.

“This is your bed, now,” Raleigh muttered against Chuck’s lips, pushing himself forward so they were flat against each other. “I want to fall asleep in your arms. I want to wake up with you curled against me. I want everything from you, Chuck.”

Chuck grinned and kissed Raleigh, rolling on top of him and pulling the blankets tight around them.

“I’ll give you nothing less, Raleigh.” He rested his head against the blond’s chest, closing his eyes and sighing, “I’ll give it all to you.”

~

Two days later, and Chuck found himself driving a jeep down the sunny roads of Melbourne. Raleigh sat next to him, one arm wrapped around Max and the other entwined with Chuck’s. He squeezed Raleigh’s hand as they made their way into the suburbs, crawling past picturesque homes to where a familiar man stood in the driveway of one home, his big arms crossed over his chest, but a knowing grin cast across his face.

Herc waved and turned, making his way to the house as the jeep pulled into the driveway. Chuck killed the engine and climbed out of the vehicle, waiting for Raleigh to make his way around to his side. Max shot past them to the porch, jumping at Herc’s boots.

“I can wait in the jeep if you need me to. I don’t mind,” Raleigh said as he ran his knuckles down Chuck’s arm.

“Not a chance in hell, Becket.” Chuck grinned and turned to Raleigh, kissing him on the jaw. His father responded with a loud “Oi!” that had Raleigh blush in embarassment. “I said I give you everything, and this is part of it. Meeting the grandparents.” He gave Raleigh a slap on the ass. “And having to deal with Herc as he grills you over what all happened at the cabin.” 

Raleigh gulped at the glare the slap had earned him from Herc. “This is gonna be painful, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Chuck replied with an evil grin. He made his way to the house with Raleigh by his side. “This’ll be a holiday for us, Ray.”


End file.
